Dog Parks

Some Dog Parks seem to be places for people who really want to exercise their dog and who are quite attentive to their dog whether they are interacting with each other or whether the dog is looking for a canine playmate. At some Parks you may find the humans gathered together socializing with each other and paying very little attention to what the dogs are doing. You may want to visit a few Dog Parks without your dog to get the feel for what kinds of dogs and caregivers use the park and how many dogs your dog may encounter.

Look for a Dog Park where the dogs seem content running and playing. Do not mistake noise and rough and tumble play between two dogs to be fighting. What is not play, and may be a reason for concern, is when one dog, a bully, may be going from dog to dog asserting dominance. For the dogs who cower and accept the bully's dominance, there may never be a problem. If another dog challenges the bully, the result could be a dogfight. If you see a bully in the Dog Park, come back another day to play.

On your first Dog Park visit with your dog, it is good to identify yourself and your dog as a "first timer" to one of the "regulars." They are usually very helpful in pointing out where supplies like water and plastic clean-up bags are located. They may also be able to tell you if any dogs come to the Park who typically create problems among the dogs.